Microsoft thanks Vodafone for its VoIP capabilities

Rating: Hang on, are we on the same planet?

Talk about massive u-turns, Vodafone has just trumpeted its recent recognition from Microsoft for its competency in unified communications (UC). Amongst other things this enables Vodafone “to integrate and deliver VoIP.” Aren’t cellular operators like Vodafone and VoIP providers arch enemies?

Surely this is the same Vodafone that removed the ‘internet telephony’ facility which was a standard fitment by Nokia in its N95 handsets so that purchasers couldn’t take advantage of alternative VoIP based providers like Truphone?

Yet Vodafone’s UC competency includes its “ability to integrate and deliver VoIP, instant messaging, voice and videoconferencing, and unified messaging to the devices and productivity tools that we use on a daily basis.”

OK, GoMo News doesn’t use its Nokia N95 on a regular basis now but surely employees of Vodafone’s potential UC customers still do?

Perhaps even those employees of Cambridgeshire County Council which has recently benefited from a Vodafone UC ‘solution still have N95s. The council’s 5,000 government employees now have a UC platform from Vodafone, apparently.

“This enables them to communicate, share and interact together from anywhere at anytime,” Vodafone says.

Hmm. Does this mean that if you work for Cambridgeshire CC you can now walk into the local Vodafone store and get your N95 upgraded to something which allows standard VoIP on your handset?

Tony is based in Surrey and is a veteran comms journalist. Tony also writes on the UK market…. contact him here mailto:tony@mobileinsight.co.uk